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Saturday, April 28, 2012

Med miss

Went out early this morning half-hoping that yesterday's Med gull would still be around at Påarps Mal. No sign of course but you have to try. A widespread arrival of lesser whitethroat, willow warbler and redstart has obviously taken place in the last few days. New-in too was my first little tern of the year. Other notables included five shoveler, a male gadwall and my first eider ducklings of the year.

Moving on to Torekov rev produced another little tern, a whimbrel and another male gadwall. A short walk around Gröthögarna had a great start in the Norra Ängalag carpark with a nice male pied flycatcher. Also a pair of gadwall here too.The rest of the walk was rather quiet for notable stuff but it was great to hear all the newly arrived migrants singing away. Three whimbrel flew past close at one point and that was my lot for the morning.

In the evening, whilst the rest of the team went to a swim-party, I was marooned at Klarningen for three-and-a-half hours... Which allowed me to examine the place thoroughly! Not much moving through sadly. I combed through the large flock of hirundines. Counted the waders, which included 11 wood sandpipers and two spotted redshank. Wildfowl numbers are really dropping away, the pintail have left and just four wigeon and 35 teal remain. Still at least seven shoveler and the male garganey present though and you have to wonder if these guys are hanging around to breed. A partially leucistic red-necked grebe provided a bit of weirdness. The sole year-tick of the evening session was two slightly overdue yellow wagtails, one flava and one thunbergi.

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I am an English birder based, together with my Anglo-Swedish family, in the middle of the Bjäre peninsula in southern Sweden. We moved here from Norfolk in 2007 and have not looked back. The birding is very high quality. The number of birds that remain in the wider countryside is fantastic and the visible migration in spring and autumn is breathtaking. Fewer rare birds than in Britain no doubt, but there are fewer birders so it is mostly primary action. I only spend two-thirds of the year in Sweden though. I am lucky enough to spend the remainder of the year birding abroad.